Dissociation of ERK and Akt signaling in endothelial cell angiogenic responses to {beta}-amyloid
- Department of Neurology, Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02135 (United States)
Cerebrovascular deposits of {beta}-amyloid (A{beta}) peptides are found in Alzheimer's disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy with stroke or dementia. Dysregulations of angiogenesis, the blood-brain barrier and other critical endothelial cell (EC) functions have been implicated in aggravating chronic hypoperfusion in AD brain. We have used cultured ECs to model the effects of {beta}-amyloid on the activated phosphorylation states of multifunctional serine/threonine kinases since these are differentially involved in the survival, proliferation and migration aspects of angiogenesis. Serum-starved EC cultures containing amyloid-{beta} peptides underwent a 2- to 3-fold increase in nuclear pyknosis. Under growth conditions with sublethal doses of {beta}-amyloid, loss of cell membrane integrity and inhibition of cell proliferation were observed. By contrast, cell migration was the most sensitive to A{beta} since inhibition was significant already at 1 {mu}M (P = 0.01, migration vs. proliferation). In previous work, intracellular A{beta} accumulation was shown toxic to ECs and Akt function. Here, extracellular A{beta} peptides do not alter Akt activation, resulting instead in proportionate decreases in the phosphorylations of the MAPKs: ERK1/2 and p38 (starting at 1 {mu}M). This inhibitory action occurs proximal to MEK1/2 activation, possibly through interference with growth factor receptor coupling. Levels of phospho-JNK remained unchanged. Addition of PD98059, but not LY294002, resulted in a similar decrease in activated ERK1/2 levels and inhibition of EC migration. Transfection of ERK1/2 into A{beta}-poisoned ECs functionally rescued migration. The marked effect of extracellular A{beta} on the migration component of angiogenesis is associated with inhibition of MAPK signaling, while Akt-dependent cell survival appears more affected by cellular A{beta}.
- OSTI ID:
- 20775355
- Journal Information:
- Experimental Cell Research, Journal Name: Experimental Cell Research Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 312; ISSN 0014-4827; ISSN ECREAL
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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